]]>http://thedailyengage.com/spotx-test-page-ad/feed/0http://thedailyengage.com/spotx-test-page-ad/Virtual Reality: My New Bathroom Companionhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/thedailyengage/sqEx/~3/5EqcyCZzxN0/
http://thedailyengage.com/virtual-reality-new-bathroom-companion/#respondTue, 19 Jan 2016 01:54:06 +0000http://thedailyengage.com/?p=9300VR Belongs In The Bathroom As a small child, I always wondered why it took so long for my dad to finish using the bathroom. I wasn’t insanely interested in my dad’s bathroom habits, it was more of a passing curiosity, but it wasn’t until...

As a small child, I always wondered why it took so long for my dad to finish using the bathroom. I wasn’t insanely interested in my dad’s bathroom habits, it was more of a passing curiosity, but it wasn’t until I was older that the reason he spent so much time in there was to escape. He worked some pretty long hours and then came home to two ADHD-riddled sons who couldn’t be bothered to worry about his day, so I get it (now).

We all do it, though. There’s no place better than the bathroom than to escape from the troubles of the world, especially now that we’re carrying around tiny entertainment machines with us. But now, I’ve found something that puts my phone’s powers of escapism to shame.

A few weeks ago, I took advantage of a deal that Google was putting on for the release of Star Wars Episode VII; and a free BB-8 Google Cardboard was soon at my door. The experience was surreal. Being my first time with anything related to virtual reality, I originally spent more than a few hours messing around until I eventually ending up with a pretty severe migraine that had me rushing to the bathroom for pleasant vomiting.
Recovery was swift and the virtual reality siren song was strong. I stayed in the bathroom (as a precaution) and was soon back in the streets of some far away land. Fortunately, my VR session was interrupted by my roommate looking to use the room. That’s how it all started.

Offering quick and adventurous escapes

In its current iteration, VR (or at least the low-end cardboard version) is best suited for short periods of adventure. That’s why my Google Cardboard sits next to the weeks-old magazine bin in my bathroom. Never used for more than a few minutes, I can sit in VR right on my throne. The bathroom forces short virtual reality sessions to take place, which in-turn, stops me from getting sick when I inevitably spend too much time in virtual worlds.

Anyone who’s read this far likely thinks I’ve decided to write about how much I love sitting in the bathroom, but it’s honestly not that different than what most of you are doing in there anyway. If you’re sitting on the toilet, you’ll probably pull out your phone. I’m doing the same thing, except I’m putting my phone into a cardboard viewer and either walking around Google Street View or watching the tons of 360-degree video on YouTube.

]]>http://thedailyengage.com/virtual-reality-new-bathroom-companion/feed/0http://thedailyengage.com/virtual-reality-new-bathroom-companion/Oculus Rift Up For Pre-Orderhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/thedailyengage/sqEx/~3/G9ZqzVHW9Jw/
http://thedailyengage.com/oculus-rift-up-for-pre-order/#respondSun, 10 Jan 2016 04:01:16 +0000http://thedailyengage.com/?p=9296The virtual reality rig starts at $599 Preorders for the Oculus Rift have finally opened and we have more information about the virtual reality rig. The Rift will start shipping on March 28th for $599 and will appear in “limited locations at select retailers” starting...

Preorders for the Oculus Rift have finally opened and we have more information about the virtual reality rig. The Rift will start shipping on March 28th for $599 and will appear in “limited locations at select retailers” starting in April.

Oculus will also be giving away consumer edition Rifts to anyone who backed the project on Kickstarter and spent enough for a development kit. If you aren’t a development kit owner, you can still buy a Rift online. The device is available for purchase as long as you live in the US or 19 other countries. Included with the Rift is a carrying case, an Xbox One controller, an external tracking camera, and the Oculus Remote along with a copy of Lucky Tale (anyone who preorders will also get a copy of EVE: Valkyrie).

The First Consumer Virtual Reality Rig Finally Goes Up For Sale

While preorders for the Rift are open to anyone, not everyone will have the ability to run the rig. The Rift’s store page has a downloadable compatibility tool, which will allow users to know if their PCs meet the high specs that the Rift requires. We previously knew that the Rift would require high spec hardware, with the total cost of running a rig being somewhere around $1,500.

The Rift experience was shown last year with the Oculus Touch motion controllers, which were recently delayed until the second half of 2016. Oculus co-founder Palmer Luckey did recently state that preordering the Rift will reserve a spot for Oculus Touch preorders. “First in line for Rift = first in line for Touch,” Luckey wrote. Luckey also has stated that those that preorder will not be required to pay anything until their orders ship.

There’s no doubt that the Oculus Rift will be popular, with the first batch of preorder units already accounted for. Anyone who orders the Rift now, will receive their unit sometime in April.

]]>http://thedailyengage.com/oculus-rift-up-for-pre-order/feed/0http://thedailyengage.com/oculus-rift-up-for-pre-order/NBC Launches Seeso Video Streaming Servicehttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/thedailyengage/sqEx/~3/h-X36cvdAp0/
http://thedailyengage.com/nbc-launches-seeso-video-streaming-service/#respondSun, 10 Jan 2016 03:57:35 +0000http://thedailyengage.com/?p=9293Another video streaming service…my favorite. NBC has become the latest traditional television channel to launch their own streaming service. Seeso is the yet another streaming service that hopes to differentiate itself from its seemingly identical brethren by offering its own original content. Just what we...

NBC has become the latest traditional television channel to launch their own streaming service. Seeso is the yet another streaming service that hopes to differentiate itself from its seemingly identical brethren by offering its own original content.

Just what we wanted, more NBC content!

Seeso is NBCUniversal’s service aimed at cord cutters, focusing mostly on comedy content. Previously in private beta, the service launched this week at a low $3.99 price point.

The service will offer well-known favorites like the Monty Python classics, “Parks and Recreation,” “The Office” (both US and UK versions), “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” and “Late Night with Seth Meyers,” along with over 40 years of “Saturday Night Live” episodes.

Seeso will also be offering original programs and stand-up specials. Currently, the lineup for originals are “The UCB Show,” which includes Matt Besser, Amy Poehler, Ian Roberts and Matt Walsh; “Dave and Ethan : Lovemakers,” from Above Average Productions; “The Cyanide and Happiness Show;” “HarmonQuest,” from Dan Harmon and his Comedian Companions; along with several other shows from popular online and offline comedians. The first episodes of each show were made available for free during Seeso’s beta, but that offer is no longer available since the public launch. Fortunately, some of Seeso’s content will continue to be free indefinitely.

Seeso Blends On-Demand and Live Programming

Seeso’s content premiers just like a standard television network, with new episodes being added on a weekly basis. The streaming service’s release schedule differs from its competitors, Netflix and Hulu, who want their customers to be binge their content and it may hurt the service in the long run.

Where Seeso also differs from its competition is its live events. During the beta phase, the service delivered a live special called “The Guest List: Live From The Barrel House,” which is available to watch on-demand now. Another live special is planned for January 13th. Similar to Hulu, Seeso will offer users some free content to get them interested in the service, then charge for the rest to get them to pay.

Anyone looking to try out the service can either go to the Seeso website or use the recently launched iOS and Android apps.

]]>http://thedailyengage.com/nbc-launches-seeso-video-streaming-service/feed/0http://thedailyengage.com/nbc-launches-seeso-video-streaming-service/EFF Proves T-Mobile Is Throttling YouTubehttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/thedailyengage/sqEx/~3/KsW7HJ8isps/
http://thedailyengage.com/eff-proves-t-mobile-is-throttling-youtube/#respondSun, 10 Jan 2016 03:47:58 +0000http://thedailyengage.com/?p=9290Company’s Binge-On Service Violates Net Neutrality T-Mobile’s recently launched “Binge On” service has come under fire for the way it handles the streaming/downloading of video on a cellular connection. Binge On gives T-Mobile users a way to watch videos from certain services while not using...

T-Mobile’s recently launched “Binge On” service has come under fire for the way it handles the streaming/downloading of video on a cellular connection. Binge On gives T-Mobile users a way to watch videos from certain services while not using their cellular data.

While on service all video is shown at “DVD quality,” or around 480p resolution, but T-Mobile has been accused of merely throttling video content from several services, including Google’s YouTube. T-Mobile has stated that it’s not throttling YouTube, instead they claim they’re just “optimizing” it, but the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) has discovered that that claim is true.

EFF Claims T-Mobile is Violating Net Neutrality

The EFF conducted tests and found that T-Mobile throttles every video download and stream to 1.5Mbps, forcing the streams to play at 480p quality.

“The first result of our test confirms that when Binge On is enabled, T-Mobile throttles all HTML5 video streams to around 1.5 Mps, even when the phone is capable of downloading at higher speeds, and regardless of whether or not the video provider enrolled in Binge On,” the EFF wrote. “This is the case whether the video is being streamed or being downloaded—which means that T-Mobile is artificially reducing the download speeds of customers with Binge On enabled, even if they’re downloading the video to watch later. It also means that videos are being throttled even if they’re being watched or downloaded to another device via a tethered connection.”

The EFF says that T-Mobile’s optimization claim is false because the company reduces download speeds to 1.5Mbps for any video.

“If the video is more than 480p and the server sending the video doesn’t have a way to reduce or adapt the bitrate of the video as it’s being streamed, the result is stuttering and uneven streaming—exactly the opposite of the experience T-Mobile claims their ‘optimization’ will have.”

T-Mobile throttling these streams means they are violating the FCC’s Open Internet Order, which states that ISPs “shall not impair or degrade lawful Internet traffic on the basis of Internet content, application, or service … subject to reasonable network management.” The EFF recommends that the FCC should intervene in the matter if T-Mobile continues to throttle connections using Binge-On (which is enabled by default) and states that the company should change the service to be an opt-in choice.

]]>http://thedailyengage.com/eff-proves-t-mobile-is-throttling-youtube/feed/0http://thedailyengage.com/eff-proves-t-mobile-is-throttling-youtube/Yahoo Shuts Down Yahoo Screen Servicehttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/thedailyengage/sqEx/~3/yqIB__JtbaQ/
http://thedailyengage.com/yahoo-shuts-down-yahoo-screen-service/#respondSun, 10 Jan 2016 03:40:57 +0000http://thedailyengage.com/?p=9287Not Even Community Could Save It Yahoo has officially shut down Yahoo Screen, the company’s two-year-old video streaming service. Yahoo Screen brought together syndicated programming alongside original shows. The streaming service was home to a variety of programming, with everything from licensed clips of “Saturday...

Yahoo Screen brought together syndicated programming alongside original shows. The streaming service was home to a variety of programming, with everything from licensed clips of “Saturday Night Live,” to a live streaming of an NFL game. Screen also included original shows, most notably was the former NBC comedy “Community” that was revived from cancelation for a sixth season. The service’s original programming led Yahoo to declare a $42 million writedown late last year.

Yahoo Screen Content Will Just Move Elsewhere Inside Yahoo

“At Yahoo, we’re constantly reviewing and iterating on our products as we strive to create the best user experience,” said a Yahoo rep Monday, who confirmed the brand was shuttered last week. “With that in mind, video content from Yahoo as well as our partners has been transitioned from Yahoo Screen to our Digital Magazine properties so users can discover complementary content in one place.”

Content from Yahoo Screen will now be split among the company’s digital magazines, where like-minded content can coexist.

The news of Screen’s closure is yet another omen of trouble for Yahoo. Rumors have been swirling as of late that the Marissa Mayer-led company will be contemplating the sale of its core business. Mayer has struggled for years to turnaround the company, with little to show for her effort.

]]>http://thedailyengage.com/yahoo-shuts-down-yahoo-screen-service/feed/0http://thedailyengage.com/yahoo-shuts-down-yahoo-screen-service/Twitter Considering Removing 140 Character Limithttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/thedailyengage/sqEx/~3/aQu53SzbsdU/
http://thedailyengage.com/twitter-considering-removing-140-character-limit/#respondSun, 10 Jan 2016 03:35:37 +0000http://thedailyengage.com/?p=9284Longer Tweets Are Incoming Twitter is removing a feature that has, since its inception, been a foundation of the platform, the 140-character limit. According to multiple sources familiar with the matter, the social network is considering a 10,000-character limit with a launch sometime around the...

Twitter is removing a feature that has, since its inception, been a foundation of the platform, the 140-character limit.

According to multiple sources familiar with the matter, the social network is considering a 10,000-character limit with a launch sometime around the end of Q1. That limit is the same that the company uses for Direct Messages.

Twitter Could Change, But Not Much

The official launch date isn’t set in stone, and sources for Re/Code says that the character limit could change again before the final product officially ships. Re/Code also writes how this new Twitter could look and feel:

Twitter is currently testing a version of the product in which tweets appear the same way they do now, displaying just 140 characters, with some kind of call to action that there is more content you can’t see. Clicking on the tweets would then expand them to reveal more content. The point of this is to keep the same look and feel for your timeline, although this design is not necessarily final, sources say.

Twitter is also rumored to be changing its reverse chronological timeline, something that was built at the core of the social media. These changes shows that Twitter is willing to revamp, something that shows why the service has lasted so long.

]]>http://thedailyengage.com/twitter-considering-removing-140-character-limit/feed/0http://thedailyengage.com/twitter-considering-removing-140-character-limit/Kodak Announces New Super 8 Camerahttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/thedailyengage/sqEx/~3/FRpAKOLJE18/
http://thedailyengage.com/kodak-announces-new-super-8-camera/#respondSun, 10 Jan 2016 03:26:52 +0000http://thedailyengage.com/?p=9281Retro Is New Again Kodak is bringing back a gadget from days gone by. At the Consumer Electronics Show, the Eastman Kodak Co. announced plans to bring back cameras based on their Super 8 design that originally launched 50 years ago. The new Super 8...

Kodak is bringing back a gadget from days gone by. At the Consumer Electronics Show, the Eastman Kodak Co. announced plans to bring back cameras based on their Super 8 design that originally launched 50 years ago.

The new Super 8 cameras will join the digital era to the analog. The cameras will include digital viewfinders and Kodak will also convert any film that is processed through them to digital versions.

Jeff Clarke, Kodak’s chief executive, believes that Super 8s will be a parallel to people preferring vinyl to digital audio. Clarke states that, despite most people having a smartphone and/or digital camera, these cameras will be for professionals and serious amateurs.

Kodak Is On Its Way Back Up

“This is no longer the classic script of a war of digital versus analog,” Mr. Clarke said. “What it really is now is the complementary characteristics of both.”

Kodak is currently on its way back from the grave, regularly meeting financial targets after emerging from Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2013. Despite this, Mr. Clarke acknowledges that the company doing most of its business “in slow-growing or declining markets.”

The first new Super 8 cameras will arrive in a limited-edition version sometime in the fall of this year. The camera will likely cost between $400 to $750, with processing expected to cost $50 to $75 a cartridge. Clarke also expects a lower-cost version aimed at a broader audience to ship sometime in 2017.